Zachary McClimans, 22, of Sharon, charged with attempted murder in Hermitage, Mercer County

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Updated: 12:29 PM EST Jan 4, 2017

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WEBVTT
KES IS IN HERMITAGE
WITH MORE ON HOW IT PLAYED OUT.
KATELYN: COURT DOCUMENS ARE
SHEDDING MORE LIGHT INTO WHAT
LED UP TO THAT SHOOTING INSIDE
WAL-MART.
THIS PAPER WORK INDICATES THAT
THE SUSPECT WAS BEING BULLIED
BY THE VICTIM.
AND THE SUSPECT FELT THE ONLY
WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO TURN TO
VIOLENCE.
22-YEAR-OLD ZACHARY HAD
NOTHING TO SAY WHEN HE WAS LED
IN FRONT OF A JUDGE ON SEVERAL
CHARGES, INCLUDING ATTEMPTED
FIRST DEGREE MURDER.
>> THERE WAS DEFINITELY SOME
BAD BLOOD BETWEEN THEM, SO TO
SPEAK, AND HE FELT THE NEED TO
GET A GUN AND RESOLVE HIS
DISPUTE THAT WAY.
>> COURT DOCUMENTS ALLEGE THAT
DISPUTE COMES FROM THE DECISION
TO SWITCH GENDERS FROM MALE TO
FEMALE.
COURT PAPER WORK CLAIMS WHEN HE
TOLD HIS CO-WORKERS, ONE, THE
VICTIM, JASON HALL, WAS
OFFENDED AND BEGAN THREATENING
HIM, WHICH WENT ON FOR WEEKS.
DURING THEIR SHI TOGETHER
YESTERDAY, HE HEARD HALL MAKE A
COMMENT.
SO HE LEFT, TOOK A GUN FROM HIS
GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE AND
RETURNED TO WAL-MART AND
TRACKED HALL DOWN AND SHOT HIM
FOUR TIMES.
>> FIRST OFFICERS ON THE SCENE
WERE DIRECTED TO THE PARKING
LOT AND INDICATED THAT THE
SHOOTER WAS IN THAT VEHICLE.
>> THE COURT PAPERS SAID HE
WANTED TO KILL HALL AND MAKE
SURE HE FELL AND WOULDN'T
BOTHER HIM ANY MORE AT WORK.
HALL WAS FLOWN TO THE HOSPITAL
AND IS EXPECTED TO SURVIVE.
THE INCIDENT HAS LEFT THIS
COMMUNITY IN SHOCK.
>> THIS IS A SMALL AREA AND YOU
DON'T USUALLY HEAR OF THINGS
LIKE THAT, BUT WHEN I HEARD IT
THIS MORNING, I SORT OF SAT
BACK, AND WOW.
KATELYN: HE'S HELD ON A
$500,000 BOND.
THE NEXT COURT HEARING IS

A Walmart employee who is transitioning from male to female told police that an offended co-worker threatened him over the gender switch, so he walked into the store with a gun Thursday night and fired several shots at the bully, according to a criminal complaint.

Police said Zachary Thomas McClimans, 22, of Sharon, was found inside a car in the store’s parking lot on North Hermitage Street. He was being held Friday on $500,000 bond, charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and carrying a firearm without a license.

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The victim, identified in court paperwork as Jayson Hall, was listed in stable condition Friday after he was flown to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. Police said they found him in a rear stockroom area of the store.

Hermitage Police Chief Eric Jewell said there had been an ongoing dispute between the victim and McClimans, who he said "felt the need to get a gun and resolve the dispute."

According to the criminal complaint, McClimans told police that Hall was offended and began threatening him when he let co-workers know about his gender change. McClimans said he reported the issue, but when he last spoke with management about a week ago, no decision had been made about how to handle it.

"McClimans stated that he had begun thinking of a way to prevent Hall from hurting him or threatening him. McClimans stated that shooting Hall was one of these solutions," the complaint said.

McClimans told police that he went to his grandfather’s home and found a .380-caliber pistol, then drove to Walmart with the intention of waiting for Hall to get off work, but "he felt so strongly about shooting Hall that he could not wait, at which time he tracked down Hall inside the store," according to the complaint.

Police said Hall was found with at least two visible wounds in the upper back. He told police that he heard the shots, then turned around and saw McClimans pointing a gun, according to the complaint.

"When asked if he and Zach had any type of dispute or ongoing issue, Hall confirmed that there was an internal investigation by the store," police said. "When asked if Zach had said anything to him, Hall stated, ’No.’ Hall stated that he saw Zach hanging around the end of the aisle where he was working just prior to the shooting."

The store remained closed Friday morning. Customers were being turned away.

"This is a small area, and you just don’t usually hear of things like this," said Norman Lane, of Transfer. "When I heard it this morning, I just sort of sat back and -- wow."